The use of rear-facing infant car seats in the back seat results in the problem of the driver not being able to see the infant during travel. Use of rear-facing seats is frequently considered to be safer and may be legally required. Additionally, installation in the backseat gives the infant greater protection. However, both factors contribute to the driver's inability to actually see the child in the infant car seat.
With forward-facing infant car seats, the driver can see the child in the rearview mirror while driving. However, with a rear-facing seat, all the driver can see is the back of the infant car seat. This can cause the driver to be anxious at times, due to concerns over the welfare of the child. Such concerns could be easily overcome if the driver could see the child, but given the arrangement, this is not possible.
As a result, it is known to use a second, forwardly-facing infant-viewing mirror to see the child. Such mirrors are mounted on the backseat or rear deck of the car, and when used in conjunction with the rearview mirror, allow the driver to see the infant. Such a second mirror is clearly advantageous because it allows the driver to see a reflected image of the infant's face in the rearview mirror. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,902,118 and 4,909,618 are both examples of mirrors which are mounted on the rear seat or rear deck in a manner that allows light to travel from the infant to the mirror, from which it is reflected forward to the driver's rearview mirror.
A limitation of infant observation mirrors is that they generally must be installed in a rear portion of a car or mini-van by some type of hardware. This may damage the vehicle somewhat, in that the finish may be marred when the infant mirror is removed for vehicle resale.
A related difficulty is that once the infant mirror is installed, it is not easily moved to another location should the infant car seat be needed in a different location or in a different vehicle.
A further limitation of known infant observation mirrors is that the distance of the mirror from the infant is such that the field of view is narrowed considerably. Particularly where the mirror is mounted on the rear deck, underneath the car's rear window, the distance between the mirror and the child's face is such that the field of view is cut dramatically. In fact, the further the infant mirror is from the child's face, the smaller the portion of the mirror which reflects the child's face, and the larger the portion of the mirror with reflects other things.
Similarly, the greater the distance between the driver's rearview mirror and the infant mirror the smaller the infant mirror appears. The further to the rear of the car the mirror is, the smaller the infant mirror would appear in the driver's rearview mirror.
As a result, when the infant mirror is removed from the child's face by too great a distance, and when the infant mirror it too far from the driver's rearview mirror, the driver's view of the child is difficult at best.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for an infant observation mirror attachable to an infant car seat that resolves the above limitations. The infant observation mirror should be carried in an adjustably positionable location close to the infant, thereby increasing the percentage of the mirror on which the child's face is actually viewable. The infant mirror should be easily installed and removed without marring the finish of the vehicle. Additionally, the infant mirror should be transportable between vehicles.